Councilwoman Pushes To Have Airport Named After Oprah Winfrey

“Nashville is in a very unique position to be able to offer that type of recognition to someone that's very deserving,” said Councilwoman Sharon Hurt.

If you’re traveling into Nashville, there may be a possibility that you’ll be landing at the Oprah G. Winfrey Nashville International Airport in the future. According to the Tennessean, at-large Councilwoman Sharon Hurt is fighting to have Nashville International Airport named after the media mogul.

In November, Hurt submitted a proposal to the airport’s chairman Dexter Samuels and received some pushback, the news outlet writes. Samuels claimed that naming the airport after Winfrey would not align with their naming policy. Despite the obstacles, Councilwoman Hurt is continuing to push for the name change and will do whatever it takes to bring her vision to fruition.

“It’s Oprah. Nashville is in a very unique position to be able to offer that type of recognition to someone that’s very deserving,” said Hurt in a statement, according to the news outlet. “I think it’s a grand opportunity for us to recognize someone of Oprah’s stature.” Hurt also added that the city of Nashville needs to do a better job of acknowledging the contributions of notable Black figures. She was at the forefront of getting the Metro Council to rename a part of Charlotte Avenue after Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Oprah Winfrey has deep ties to Nashville. She graduated from East High School and then went on to earn her degree from Tennessee State University. She also launched her career in television in Nashville. The decision will be left up to the Nashville Airport Authority board.

News about the possible renaming of the airport comes around the same time of the unveiling of President Barack H. Obama Highway in Los Angeles.